Modern data processing systems, such as general purpose computer systems, typically allow a user to enter text within a program, such as a web browser or other types of programs. The text entry often occurs within a text input field which is a pre-determined area of a graphical user interface. A text input field typically can accept no more than a pre-determined number of text characters which are entered by a user. In a typical graphical user interface, such as a modern web browser, the user will enter text by positioning a typing cursor within the text input field. This may be performed by positioning a cursor, through a cursor control device such as a mouse, into the text input field. Once the typing cursor has been placed into the text input or entry field, then the user may begin to enter text (e.g. by typing or speaking through speech recognition) into the text input field. A user can then cause the data processing system to perform an operation using the text, such as a search through a database or other source of information using the inputted text stream as a search query.
Certain graphical user interfaces allow for different operations to be performed with the inputted text. FIG. 1A shows an example of such a user interface 10 which includes a text entry field 11 into which a user may enter text. A pull down menu 12 includes a pull down button 14 and a plurality of options 15, 16, and 17 which the user may select from the pull down menu 12. The pull down menu 12 allows a user to search on a local storage device if the option 15 is selected or to search on a remote server if the option 16 is selected or to search in a Folder A if the option 17 is selected. Thus, through the use of a pull down menu the source of data, which may be searched based upon the inputted text string within the text field 11, will be changed by changing the option which is selected through the pull down menu 12. An example of this graphical user interface can be found in the upper right hand corner of a Finder window of the Panther operating system (Macintosh OS 10.3) from Apple Computer Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.
FIG. 1B shows another example in the prior art of a user interface which allows a user to input text. In the case of the user interface 20 shown in FIG. 1B, separate text entry fields 21 and 22 are provided to allow for separate operations using the entered text. Thus, rather than using a single text entry field as in the case of the interface of FIG. 1A, two separate text entry fields are provided to a user to allow for two different uses of the entered text. For example, the user may enter text into field 21 to cause a local search of local storage or may enter text into field 22 to cause a search of a data source in a remote server. The advantage of the interface 20 of FIG. 1B is that the display of indicators 21A and 22A will tell a user the purpose or use of each corresponding text entry field whereas a user in the case of interface 10 must activate the pull down menu to determine the function or operation which will be performed using the entered text in text entry field 11. However, the interface 20 of FIG. 1B occupies more display space than the interface 10, particularly since the interface 10 normally does not include the options in the pull down menu when the pull down menu is not activated (rather only the pull down button 14 is displayed when the pull down menu is not activated).